This is kinda a post for Chuck Kennedy, since he is the only person who will know. Sometimes I think we need a "Ask Chuck K" section. Anyway...

The updated Tech Standards for Targets now approves them for one of three levels defined in the specs: Championship, Standard and Basic. As I read the document, "Championship" is anything A tier and above. There is also something in there about applying for a wavier.

Is the wavier going to be allowed for "Championship" play, or is approval for that level set in stone? My question concerns St. Louis, which had Gateway Titans in some parks and just installed them in a new course designed for "Championship" play. Is the St. Louis Open going to be restricted to parks that do not have Titans, or will they be able to apply for a wavier for those courses? Also, is this in effect now for 2009? I know Endicott is on the schedule for the 2009 St. Louis Open, and it has Titans. Also, do you have any idea what the status of the Titans are? I know the issue is the size of the basket attachment, but what is the status of them? Have they been denied approval, or has Dave not submitted them?

Thanks.

Furthur wrote:Either get a lighter one, throw harder, or find a disc with more glide.

We have to get the PDGA Competition Committee to resolve these differences going into 2010. But they haven't had a chance to do this until the Tech Specs got approved which was already in January. The Tour Standards had to be published before the end of 2008 and it wasn't clear when the Target Specs would be completed.

Regarding the Titans, Dave asked what the status was and I sent him to Homburg who has to work out the details. I think Jeff has a Titan that didn't meet the old specs but I think it may meet the new ones. So by the time of the St. Louis Open, the Titans may be approved making it moot with likely no waiver required, assuming the Titans get in the Championship category.

The Titan kinda sums up GDS for me in a lot of ways. It is a good catching basket and some thought was put into the arrangement of the chains and the larger chains near the pole, so you have to give them some credit for that. Then they mess up the execution...the basket attachment was too big to be approved, and the chain assembly and basket attachment were obviously tooled to be on a larger center pipe than they are currently being installed on. So on the one hand you have some innovation, and on the other hand the execution stinks.

Anyway, the fact that they are not an approved target has never really been an issue. From the sounds of things, it probably won't in the the future.

Furthur wrote:Either get a lighter one, throw harder, or find a disc with more glide.